Fabric cleaning system



Ju1zo,'19 37. Y Y AMATTHl-:wsf Y `27,687,775

FABRIC CLEANING SYSTEM f Filed May 25, 1935 J5. f K FQME gli l INVENTORI ALBERT'V MATTHEWS 1 ATTORNEYJ 'Patented July zo, 1937 Norwood, 0hio,'a corporation of Ohio Machinery Company,

spoliation-Mu ss, lass, semina zs,olz z -V My invention'l relates tn fabi-le cleaning mtems includingmeans ior'iiltering the liquider solvent and returning it'icr reuse in the cleaning/operation. More particularly, it relates to- 5 an auxiliary Icircuit in combination `with a cleaning system for depositing a layer of illter aid upon a filtering screen in' the main circuit. f

i. the fabric has been treatedwith a'washing solu- 1. tion or solvent for a predetermined period oi time to withdraw a portion 1.0i' Athe e. solvent. l' filter it, and return it i'or reuse inthe washing operation;

In accordance withmy invention I have provided an auxiliary circuit by means oi which illter aid '1g may be built upon a filtering screenzin themain circuit without introducingthe illter aid in' the fabric treating vessel `or in the used solvent which hasbeen drained therefrom.. -l

. It is therefore an object of my invention to pro` l vide an improvedzfabric cleaning system, including'an auxiliary circuit, by means of which a layer oi illter aid may be u'niiormlyjdeposited upon a illteringscreen in the maincir'cuit lwithout mixingthe illterfaid with themabim iiuid'or sol;

i vent in the `treating Vvessel oriwiththe useds'ole Another object of my invention is to provide an improved system by means oi whichnlter vaid may-be deposited4 a filter screen, the used 'n solvent ltered andthe iilter solids removed from thescreen without removing the screen from the A further object of my invention is to `provide an improved process for clarifying liquids/by means of whichsoil'ed solvent may beilitered and# returned to the treating vessel-and, at desired intervals, the filtered solids maybe removed from' the screen and afresh supply. of lter ai deposited thereon without removing-the scr n from athesystem. m My invention will be betterunderstood by rei'- erence to the accompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 is a atic view of my improved cleaning system; Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view 4| of the iilter; and. Fis. 3 is a cross-sectional view onlinel-g-lofFigA. ,i l As illustrated in the drawing. my improved sys tem'comprises a washer or treating vessel, I, pro

vided with the usual rotatable goods container 2,'

gg a pump 3, a filter-uniti, conduits l and i for conveying the Vused liquid tothe iilter, and a conduit l for returning; the clariiled liquid to vthe washer orutreating vessel. i

In accordance with my invention I have provided` an improved means for depositing a layer of illter aid upon a screen in the iilter unit." lAs illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3 oi' the drawing, the

illter unit comprises an outer casing kla and a` filtering screen 8 spaced inwardly from the wall hgh-oi the The screen may be supported ing the illter aid in the treating Y inthe casing s in any mutable nwlnne'n, an illustrated 'in Y the drawing', the iilter` screenis suplk ported onl an' annular iian'ge l extending inwardly s from thejcasing and is lattachedat 'its upper e'nd to an angle-iron "which may be'jsolderedcr 'i vwelded to'the-upperportion` of the receptacle.

'nie iilter screen I may be formed of nickelQMonl metal, orV any suitable metalzfor 'alloy'*whichj is capable` off-resisting vth'ecorrosivevv action of "the solvent or'treating liquid.VA Betore passing? the 'soiled `liquid or I'solvent through the'flter it is desirable, howeverftocoat the lter screenvwith a uniform layer offlter aid y so that the grease'and dirtpresent inthe solvent will not passthroughthe'screen. In 4accordance u with my invention, this may be en'ected infa sirn-l pleand very eil'ective manner withoutjintroduc- A solvent' by utiliz# ing 'an Vauxiliaryl circuit comprising'ia storage' tank lz and n tank l: eentelnlngnltereljai' laine-*I0 nlter aid may be cpmposedoi divided cel1u v lar silica, lsuch 'as diatomaceousorfiullefs earth onli desired, the nmafmcwmybe e with l'ielY divldedc'al'bofr vegetable harman After the soiled or used solventlhasbeen passed 8l 'n i through the iilter for apredeterminedperiodfot time, I have also provided means for removing the deposited solids `fromth'e illterf Asshownf'in` Figsfsand 3fin the drawingythismans coni-` prises a--shaft'il supported in its lower portion lI0 .inabearlng Il which is attached to thefcasingl 'The shaitfllfmay berotated by meansofa motor il` and. is provided with outwardly extendingscrapers f orremoving the itered' solids from the The operation of my'improved system will now be apparent: A predetermined amountof liquid from'alstorage tank1-i2ris passed through thel conduit LII, which is-'contr'olledy by Va, valve. I9, l

to Aa tank Il containing filter aid. II Idesired, 40 the tank Il mayfbe'f provided with an agitating" `de vice for maintaining the illteraidfin suspension. The liquid from the-filter aid tank .containingthe illteraid iny suspension is thenfiorced. through consults z2. :l and s thrnugntne :filter screen 4s l and returned by conduits 2i and-Zito they illter aid tank I3. During the massagey o i the liquid containingfthe iilter aid through the'4 screen l; valve 2l controlling conduitl I and .valve 2'6 con- `.v trolling conduit 'I are closed. and'valves 21 and 50 Il controlling conduits 22 and 2 I. respectively, are open. l'I'he liquid containing the nlter aid'is cire.' culated through the auxiliary circuit until a uniyformlitirer ofthe illter aidis depositednp'on ythe g i y screen i. Valves 21 and 2l are then closed and B5 Aany liquid remaining'in the iilter tank 'may` be drained-back into the lter aid-tank through the,

conduit, which is controlledbyjva1ve '3|'.l

Valves 24 and 2| are then opened and" soiled liquid or solvent from the washer I is forced .0

through conduits 5, 2l and I through the nlfer aid and returned to the washer by means of conduit 1. When filter solids have been deposited upon the screen in amounts which render further nitrauon of the liquid uncush vthe alter r screen impractical, valves 24 and Ilfare closed and the scrapers I1 are rotated by motor I0 to remove the filter solids froml the screen. The filter solids, together with the solutionwhichis present in the filtering tank, may then be drained from the filter through the conduit Il which` is controlled by a valve 33. Valves 21 and 28 are then opened and a fresh supply of filter aid is deposited upon the screen.

A pressure gage 35 may be provided to indicate deposited upon a filter screen withoutmixing the filter aid with the solvent in the washer or Ythe used solvent. When liquid ispassedl from the washer through the filter screen the solids may accordingly be immediately filtered kfrom the solvent,whereas when thefllter aid is `mixed with ,the solvent in the washeror in the` soiled solvent, some of the solids rare passed through the filter at the beginning of the process and are returnedllt'o the washer.

Byvproviding an auxiliary apparatusl for depositing filter aid upon thefilte r screen it will alsoV be seen that' the filter aid may be deposited upon the screen either duringthepreliminary washing operation or` while the clothes arebeing removed from the washer. The soiledliquid may then be circulated through the filterand the clarified solvent returned to the washer. kWhile the clothesrarebeing removedlfrom the washer the filter solids may be removed from the filter screen, and a new supply of filter aid deposited in athin, uniform layer upon the screen. i

It will also be seen that I haveprovided im proved means for removing the filter solids from the filtering screen and building up a new layer of the filter aid without removing thefilter-.scre'en from the system. A simple, convenient method is thus provided whereby the filtering and return of the lclarified liquid to the treating vessel may be facilitated.

By providing an auxiliarycircuit it will also be seen that itis not necessary to utilize the same liquid for depositing the filter aid upon the screen as that employed inthel washing operation, `as

means are provided'for draining this liquid from the filter before'thensolvent from the washer is passed through the filter. When the same liquid is utilized in depositing the filter aid upon and different embodiments of my inventionwill suggest themselves without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. kMy improvediilter and the description herein are merely illustrative an are not tobe in any lsense limiting. Y

what I mm ni n 1. In a fabric cleaning system, a treating vessel, a filter unit including a casing having a filter element supported thereinrsa `filter aid tank arranged below .theV filter unit, conduit lmeans for connecting the nner aid tank 'in circuit withsaid filter unit, conduit'means for connecting the treating vessel in circuit with said filter unit, conduitmeans connected to the bottom of `said filter unit and extending' to the filter aid tank through which all liquid containing filter aid in suspension may be'drained from the nlter unit into theA filter aid tank, and liquid'moving means for forcing-liquid from the filter aid tank through .the filter unit to deposit filter aid upon the filter element and to return the liquid to the filter aid tank and for forcing liquid `from .the treating vessel .throughlthelfilter unit and returning the clarified liquor yto thetreating vessel. Y

2. `In a fabric cleaning system,a treating vessel, a filter unit. including la casing having a filter elementgsupportedtherein, a filter aid tank arranged belowthe filter unit, conduit means for connectingthe filter aid tank in circuit'with said filter -,unit,; conduit means for connecting the treating vessel in, circuit1.withV said filter unit, conduit means having y.aninlet connected to the bottom of the filter unit -andv extending to the "filter aid tank through which'all liquid ,contain- 3. In afabric. cleaning system, a treating ves;

sel,a filtenunit including a casing. having a filter element.` supported therein, a storage tank, a' lter aid tank, conduit means for connecting fthe filterunit in circuit .with the filter aid tank,V conduit means forv connecting the treating vessel in circuit with the filter unit, conduit means having an inlet connected to thelbottomof the filter unit and an outlet communicating with thevfilter aid tank through which all liquid containing filter aid in suspension may bekdrained from the filter unit.;intc the vfilter aidy tank, communicating means between the storage tank and thefilter aid tank, communicating meansbetween the storage tank and thetreating'vessel, and pump meansv for forcingliquid from the filter aid tank through the filter unit andreturning it tothe filter aid tank, said pump means also serving to force liquid lfrom the treating vessel through the filter unit and tor retum'the clarified liquid to the treating vessel.

4. In a -fabric cleaning system, atreating vessel, a filter unit including a casing'having a'filter element supported therein, a filter aid tank, con` duit means for-connecting the filter aid tank in circuit with saidiilterrunit, conduit means for connecting the treating vessel in circuit with said filter unit, means -providing flow of all liquid containing filter aid in suspension from the'fllter unit into the filter aid tank, and liquid moving means for forcing liquid from the filter aid tank through the filter unit to deposit filter aid upon the filter element and to lreturn the liquid tothe filteraid tank and for` forcingliquidA from the treating vessel through the filter unit and return? ing the clarified liquid to the treating vessel.

f ALBERT MATTHEWS. 

